Joe Biden will end America's gun violence epidemic

The argument

Joe Biden acknowledges the extent of America’s gun violence epidemic, with almost 40,000 gun-related deaths annually. Biden has a plan to end America’s gun violence epidemic by banning weapons of war, keeping guns out of dangerous hands, and ensuring guns are used safely. Joe Biden should be elected in the 2020 presidential election due to his commitment to a safer America. Joe Biden will prevent weapons of mass destruction from entering America’s streets. Biden will impose a ban on assault weapons and high-capacity magazines; he will organize buy-back programs for such weapons already in America’s communities. In addition, Biden will restrict the number of firearms individuals can buy in a month to prevent stockpiling weapons. In order to keep guns out of dangerous hands, Biden will strengthen the background check system. He will encourage states to impose “red flag” laws, which give the government power to confiscate weapons from high-risk individuals. Biden will also close several loopholes in the current background check system. For example, he will stop the “hate crime loophole” by banning hate crime convicts from owning guns, the “Charleston loophole” by extending the time limit for a background check, and the “fugitive from justice loophole” by preventing gun ownership to all fugitives. Lastly, Biden will enact policies to ensure guns are used safely. He will require firearm owners to store their guns safely and hold firearm owners accountable for granting minors access to weapons. In addition, Biden will encourage the sale of “smart guns,” which use fingerprint technology to limit gun users. Joe Biden should be elected as president of the United States, as he will end America’s gun violence epidemic.

Context

Without a doubt, America has a gun violence issue with an average of 1 gun-related death every 13 minutes. As gun-violence deaths reach unbearable highs, many have called attention to America's gun violence epidemic.

Premises

Counter-arguments

While Biden makes a commitment to improving gun issues, he certainly will not end America’s gun violence epidemic. A majority of gun-related deaths involve handguns, not assault weapons. Banning weapons of mass destruction would have no impact on the numerous handguns in America. In addition, extensive background checks still cannot guarantee a completely safe gun owner. As the United States has more guns than any other country, ending the gun violence epidemic will require more than Joe Biden’s plan.

Rejecting the premises

[Rejecting P1] Having a plan is not the same as ending an epidemic, and the argument never bridges the gap. Almost every measure listed — an assault weapons ban, purchase limits, statutory changes to background checks — requires Congress to pass it, so a campaign platform cannot establish the outcome the conclusion asserts. [Rejecting P2] The counter-argument's objection goes unanswered: the great majority of US gun deaths involve handguns rather than the rifles and magazines this premise targets, and a large share are suicides, which a ban on a class of weapon does not address. [Rejecting P3] Background checks, red-flag laws and safe-storage rules are largely administered by states, so a president can encourage rather than impose them, and the premise offers no estimate of how many of the annual deaths they would prevent. "Smart guns" are a product proposal rather than a policy, dependent on manufacturers building them and buyers choosing them.